


Ask for Angela

by Alecto



Series: tumblr ficlets [18]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Meetings, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, M/M, Prompt Fic, Restaurants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23330638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alecto/pseuds/Alecto
Summary: Dialogue prompt: “I don’t do hugs.”Joey is always ready to play a "knight in shining armor" for those in need.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Series: tumblr ficlets [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/48708
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75





	Ask for Angela

As Joey threw together his fifth Manhattan of the hour, he kept one eye peeled on table four. Admittedly, he'd started doing so because one of the men, whom he'd dubbed Mr. Gin-and-tonic for the drink he'd ordered at the bar before settling into his table, was the sort of tall, dark, and handsome Joey would swoon over if he wasn't on the clock. His lean figure, trim suit, chestnut brown hair, and steel blue eyes made him prime eye-candy material. 

But after the last 30 minutes or so, Joey kept watching for an entirely different reason. 

Red flags were flying all over that table. Most notable was the way Mr. Gin-and-tonic's dinner companion, whom Joey mentally referred to as "Pinky" because of his long pastel hair and matching suit, would reach across the table to touch a hand that quickly and physically rebuffed the advance. Pinky blatantly ignored clearly broadcast boundaries while wearing a smile that he probably thought was increasingly seductive, but in reality, came off as sleazy. 

Joey had worked years in the service industry, and he'd seen the best and worst of humanity through it. He couldn't see Mr. Gin-and-tonic's expression, but he did recognize the defensive set of his shoulders as his back was turned toward the bar where Joey poured cocktails and microbrew drafts. If Joey were another diner, instead of a member of the staff, he'd loudly confronted Pinky the creep. Instead, he would have to opt for a more subtle approach.

His chance came when Mr. Gin-and-tonic rose abruptly from his chair and seemingly excused himself to use the restroom.

Joey slung off the waistcoat he wore on shift and made a beeline for Bret, the restaurant's host. "I think we have an 'Angela' situation at table four."

Bret knitted his brow in concern. "I thought table four was a business reservation."

"Yeah, well, I think Pinky wants to be more than business partners and won't take no for an answer," Joey muttered darkly.

Bret peered around him, and whatever he saw made him frown deeper. Joey turned in time to catch the last glimpse of Pinky's long hair before the man vanished down the hallway toward the restrooms. Presumably to corner Mr. Gin-and-tonic. Wow, Pinky really needed to back the hell off.

"Go and check it out," Bret said. "I'll tell Krissy to handle the bar while you're at it."

"You're the man, chief!" Joey peddled back with a mock salute.

As Joey crossed the restaurant, he undid the top two buttons of his dress shirt and ruffled his blond locks free of the styling product he used to slick back his hair for work attire. With that, he should be able to pass for one of the young and trendy professionals that flocked to small plate restaurants like this one. He hoped Pinky was the kind of self-absorbed guy who didn't pay attention to the wait staff and wouldn't recognize him. He hurried past the double doors leading into the kitchen toward the restrooms situated at the very back of the building. 

He heard them before he saw them.

"Come now, you needn't be so reserved," purred a voice with a distinct German accent. 

Joey peered around the corner in time to see Mr. Gin-and-tonic sidestep another one of Pinky's bodily advances.

"No thanks. I don't do hugs," snarked Mr. Gin-and-tonic in a deep, gravelly voice. While he sounded calm on the surface, his expression came close to cracking into a thunderous snarl.

Joey weighed his options. Mr. Gin-and-tonic might resort to violence to fend off Pinky, who frankly deserved it. But if punches were thrown, it would create a ruckus, and the police might get called in. That would disturb their dining guests and eat into the tips the front of house would otherwise collect, himself included.

No, Joey needed to defuse the situation.

He stomped noisily past, startling Pinky with his sudden appearance. Several steps past their hall, he doubled back just as quickly and beamed at the two men.

"Hey!" Joey kept his eyes on Mr. Gin-and-tonic, so there was no question whom he was greeting. "I thought I saw a familiar face out there! It's been forever! How've yah been, man?!"

For a moment, he feared Mr. Gin-and-tonic wouldn't play along. Then a spark of recognition flashed through those baby blues, and it was answered by a thrill down Joey's spine that he was remembered from their brief interaction at the bar. Mr. Gin-and-tonic glided toward Joey with a surprisingly warm fake-smile. It threw Joey for a second, because wow, he was even more handsome like that.

"Yes, it's been a while," Mr. Gin-and-tonic purred and even went as far as to drape an arm across Joey's shoulder. "I trust you've been well."

The touch and his voice coursed through Joey's body like an electric shock. God, Mr. Gin-and-tonic even smelled like heaven, all crisp and masculine. Joey wasn't going to swoon, though his knees trembled a bit.

But Joey was determined to see his rescue mission through. "Totally—"

Pinky interrupted, "Is this a friend of yours, Herr Kaiba?" He wore a displeased expression with lips flattened straight.

Mr. Gin-and-tonic—no, Kaiba, Joey corrected himself—reached up and fixed Joey's collar with long, manicured fingers. "In a manner of speaking," he drawled. "Would you give us a few minutes, Schroeder?" Though he'd phrased the request as a question, the dismissal couldn't be clearer.

"Ah, yes, take your time. I look forward to continuing our discussion when you return," Pinky said with a fake grin and scurried away.

As soon as Pinky was out of sight, Kaiba dropped his arm and stepped back, snarling, "Good riddance."

Joey was mesmerized by the quicksilver transformation in his features. Kaiba leaned back against the wall, crossed his arms over his chest, and studied Joey long and hard. The silence that followed was heavy and oppressive. Joey squirmed under the other man's piercing gaze.

"Hey, I hope you don't mind, but I was watching from the bar, and it looked like you could use a helpin' hand," said Joey. When Kaiba said nothing in response and continued to stare at him with a gleam in his eyes, Joey started to babble, "Just so you know for the future, we got this code word, it's like a safeword, here. If you ask for 'Angela' at the bar, we'll do our best to get you outta any awkward situation. Usually, it's bad dates, y'know, like creeps and weirdos who lie on their Tinder profiles and whatnot. We have a poster about it in the women's bathroom, so they know they can count on us to help 'em outta bad or unsafe situations. But we can't put the same poster in the men's room, cuz that kinda gives away the game. But everyone should get help if they need it, no matter if you're gay or straight. Now that you know, feel free to use it in the future if you need—"

"And what?" Kaiba smirked, and boy, it was not a bad look on him at all. "You'll be my knight in shining armor?"

Joey felt his cheeks heat. "Sumthin' like that."

Kaiba pushed off the wall and approached him again, stopping when they stood toe to toe. "I suppose thanks are in order, Mister?"

"Wheeler," Joey managed around his clumsy, graceless tongue. "But call me Joey. Everyone does."

Kaiba hummed thoughtfully, then introduced himself with a lazy tilt of his head. "I'm Seto. A pleasure to meet you, Joey."


End file.
